Prepositions show relationships between things, such as location, time, direction, cause, and more. This guide covers the most useful prepositions with examples to help you spot and use them naturally.
Prepositions of Place
Prepositions of place tell you where something is relative to something else. They are used with physical locations and sometimes with more abstract positions.
Key Prepositions
at, in, and on are the basic prepositions of place, each with intuitive uses: at for specific points, in for enclosed spaces, and on for surfaces.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| at | at | |
| in | in | |
| on | on | |
| under | under | |
| behind | behind | |
| next to | next to | |
| between | between |
Examples
Encontrémonos en la entrada principal del edificio.
More Prepositions
Prepositions like above, below, near, around, and beside give more precise information about location. They can be used in both literal and figurative contexts.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| above | above | |
| below | below | |
| near | near | |
| around | around | |
| beside | beside |
Prepositions of Time
Prepositions of time indicate when something happens. They are used with dates, times, periods, and more general moments.
Key Prepositions
at, on, and in are the main prepositions of time, each used for different kinds of time expressions: at for precise times, on for days and dates, and in for longer periods.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| at | at | |
| on | on | |
| in | in | |
| before | before | |
| after | after | |
| during | during | |
| since | since |
Examples
More Prepositions
Other time prepositions like by, until, from, and around help specify deadlines, durations, and approximate times.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| by | by | |
| until | until | |
| from | from | |
| around | around |
Prepositions of Direction and Movement
Prepositions of direction show movement toward, away from, or through a place. They are used with verbs of motion and describe journeys, routes, and positions.
Key Prepositions
to, into, onto, toward, and through are common prepositions of movement. They show where someone or something is going and whether they enter, climb, approach, or pass along.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| to | to | |
| into | into | |
| onto | onto | |
| toward | toward | |
| through | through | |
| from | from | |
| out of | out of |
Examples
More Prepositions
Additional direction prepositions like off, around, past, along, and away from give more detail about movement relative to landmarks and paths.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| off | off | |
| around | around | |
| past | past | |
| along | along | |
| away from | away from |
Prepositions of Cause, Purpose, and Manner
These prepositions explain why something happens, for whom it is intended, how it is done, and other relations like means and agent.
Common Prepositions
for, because of, due to, by, with, and about are prepositions that signal cause, purpose, manner, and related ideas. They appear in explanations, plans, and descriptions.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| for | for | |
| because of | because of | |
| due to | due to | |
| by | by | |
| with | with | |
| about | about |
Examples
Summary
Prepositions consistently show relationships like place, time, direction, cause, and more. Learn the key prepositions in each category and practice with real examples to use them naturally.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025